Improvement in d aguerreotypi ng



UNITED STAr-ns fArnNr rrrca VILLIAM YARNALL, OF NEVARK, OHIO.

lMPROVEMENT IN DAGUERREOTYPING.

Spccitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,5 l l, dated December 2*, 1551.

To all wwmf iv' may emi/cera:

e it known that I, VIL'LIAM YARNALL, of the town of Newark, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented and made certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of Dagnerreotyping or Photographic I)ai11ting, which improvements I style or call chromo photographic painting7 or the prismatic daguerreotyping process ;77 and I do Verily believe the same to be new and o ri nal with myself, and moreover declare that the following' is a full and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention and improvements consists in chemically producing` ornamental borders or marginal des'igns of a variety of hues and tints, colors and shades, or encircling the photographic image with a succcssion of circles, halves, and irradiation.

To enable others sltilled in the art and operation to make and use my invention, I will herewith proceed to give a description and explanation thereof, which is as follows.

Pursuing the usual or ordinary method of Cleaning, bufling, and polishing the surface of the silver plates or metallic tablets used for photographic impressions or daguerreotype images, I have at hand a succession or sets, or different sizes of slides or patterns, which I term chemical cut-offs These slide-patterns or cut-offs are fitted to work snioothl y in the groove or slide of the camera-diaphragm or plate-holder; the center portion of the slide being cut out in the 'form or design requiredthe form, design, or pattern more generally used by me being the pattern of the matting, that thin metallic piece used between the surface of the plate, and the glass which covers the image. These pattern-slides or chemical cut-offs are put into the plate-holder or camera-diaphragm, (one at a time only being used,) the smallest pattern generally being used first, after which the polished plate is also placed in the plate-holderor camera-diaphragm, on the inner edges of which is a small projection, or rabbet, or rest for the plate, and also to prevent the polished surface of the plate coming in contact with or rubbing against the slide or cut-off. The plate thus duly prepared and arranged is carried to the noctus, or dark-closet, and therein submitted (over the chemical coating-boxes) to the diffused fumes or Vapor of iodine or other chemical agent einployed. The plate rcmaining over the chemical the required time, (experience and practice being` the guide,) is then taken out of the coating-box, the first slide used then withdrawn and the next in size being` substituted and use dinstead, after which the plate is again put over the coatingbox and subniitted a short time to the fumes, or diffuse vapor of bromine, or any other aocelerating agents, after which the plate is Withdrawn therefrom,as is also the second patternslide or chemical cut-off, and a third or sizelarger slide used,and the plate returned to the iodine-box for another degree of coating; then, after which, and lastl y, a 'fourth slide or larger cut-off may be used in lieu of the third one, if desired', and the plate again subjected to the fumes of iodine or the accelerator; after all of which (and lastly, finally,) the slide is withdrawn from the plate-holder or cameradiaphragnnand then the plate, as chemicalized, is introduced into the Chamber of the camera or photographic eli-amber and submitted to the rays or power of the pliotogenicagent. The light, Operating with Varied degrees of deconiposing power, and in proportion to the thickncss or volume of chemicalization of the plate, produces the required effect, which, however, is not developed in full until, in due time, the plate is withdrawn from the camera and carried to the noctus or dark chamber or room and deposited over the meicury-bath, and subjected to the heated vapor of mercury, which, developing the image, developes also the various borders or ornamental circles or designs, after all of which the image or the photograph is treated and finished in the usua-l or ordinaryT manner of finishing daguerreotypes.

Any number of pattern slides on designs may be used that is deemed requisite, and according to faney, producing increasedor diminished borders, circles7 rings, halves, irradiation, and any design fancy may suggest.

The rationale of my process is simply producing a certain effect or result by giving different degrees, 'volunies, or thicknesses of chemical filin or eoating to each border or pattern, for wli'enever a pattern -slide or chemical cut-off is used, that part of the plate covered by the slide does not receive the coating of the chemical at all; or, if it does, not with the same proportion or density as that part of the plate does which is freelyexposc-d or subjected to the diffuse vapor of the chemical; and, just as is the a'ffinity or combination or the union of the two chemicals, so will the result be developed. Again, too, the different proportions of the combination of the chemical union vary the degree of the decomposiug power of the photogenic agent, or graduates the intcnsity thereof.

By my process 01' method I am enabled to produce each circle, border, or design with a clear, fully developed, welldefined, sharp, distinct Outline or edge divested of a mixed or confused, indistinct, and imperfeet appearance; nor do I require to use any new chemicals or different materials other than those commonly used in the art of (laguerreotyping or photographing.

Fignre l, Diagram A, sh ows the camera-diaphragm or the plate-holder, with pattern-slide represented as partly drawn, as shown at a a a a. Figs. 2, 3, 4-, Diagram A, show slide-patterns or the chemical cut-offs. Fig. 5, Diagram A, shows the plate-holder or diaphragm with the slide b Z) b Z) adjusted. Fig. Diagram A, shows the back part view of the plateholder with the button o 0 c 0.

In order that my process may not be confounded with others for a similar purpose, or deemed as conflicting therewith, I will proceed to show the marked dissimilarity and contradistinction between my "'improvements and the method or process called the Magic Process,77 patented January l, 1851,by Charles Anthony, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The method employed and pursued in said process is nearly as follows, viz. The polished surface or plate is coated, or subjected to the fumes or vapor of iodine, and anyaccelerating agent used in the ordinary manner of chemicalizing dagnerreotypes, and after thus coated the plate is inserted in the diaphragm-frame or plateholder and deposited in the camera-Chamber. Then, any desired pattern, design, or border .is formed out of any opaque or Semi-transparent or colored or tinted medium. These patterns are then either inserted in the diaphragmframe or plate-holder, over the part' of the plate or surface of the chemical face of the plate; 01' the camera can be arranged so as to have a second diaphragm-frame or patternholder to contain these opaque and semi-tra-nsparent designs or patterns. The light is then admitted into the camera-Chamber through the lenscs, and just in proportion as the patterns or designs are opaque or Semi-transparent or ornamented, so in proportion will be the shutting off of the rays of light and the power of the decomposing agent Vitiated; but I make no use of any such vitiating media, interposed or introduced between the chemicalized plates and the rays of light; and instead thereof Iuse pattern-slides or chemical cut-offs, and in combination therewith use irregular or unequal proportions of iodine and the bromic agent, or any other accelerating principle, thus affording varied and different thieknesses or volumes of chemical film, introducing the so-prepared plate into the Camera-Chamber, and allowing the full influence of the decomposing 'photogenic agent to operate upon the ehemicalized surface.

The more marked contradistinction between the magic process and my method or system is, that the first-named is merely a mechanical mode of effecting or counteracting the power of the photogenic agent or light, while my method is prineipally a chemical'combination in combination with a photogenic and mechanical principle and the effect produced being the development of these co-operating causes. Further, the contradistinction is maintained by the 'fact that in the mode styled the magic process vitiating light-transmitting medias are employed, which medias may be properly tcrmed shut-offs, in contradistinction to my chemical cut-offs used in my process and system, the first -named shutoffs being used to eXclude a certain amount of light from the chemicalized plate while being subjccted to the rays of light. The secondnamed cut-offs are used to prevent the usual uniformity or amount or combination of chemicalization while the plate or tablet is being submitted to the fumes or vapors of the chemical agent. Again, the dissimilitude between the method of daguerreotyping patented the (3th of January, 1852, (by Henry E. Iusley, of New York city,) and my ch romo-photographic system is near] y as follows: In the first-named mode the daguerreotype-plate is coated in the ordinaryway with a chemical film, and, this being done, the plate is submitted to the rays of light, the light being unobstructed, nor the chemical film varied or irregular in Volume, as in my process. In the method patented (3th Janua1'y .l852,the plate, after being taken out of the camera, is deposited over the mercury-bath, and a slide or mercury cut-off the required size is interposed between the chemicalized plate and the heated vapors of the mercury, and whenever the mercury or developing agent is excluded there will be the result or change in the appearance of the plate; the result or effect being entirely produeed by the mercurial agent. Thus will be readily perceived the distinguishing-points between the several methods or systems herein described and the dissimilarity between the several principles involved.

XVhat I claim as my nvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

The producing ornamental borders and designs of different shades and forms, and singly or in numbers, around any photogenie image by the method of irregular chemicalization, combined with the use of patternslides or chemical cut-offs, all of which is fully described in the detail of my process.

VILLIAM YARNALL.

\Vitnesscs:

S. l). Hama, S. S. Seor'r. 

